This is my first Pokémon fan fiction that I've been planning to do since elementary school and have improved as the series evolved. I may have forgotten some of the stuff here and there, but no big deal. First thing's first; I KNOW Pokémon like the back of my head. I know every Pokémon, not in order or many by description, but know what they are, what they evolve into, and what is strong against what. Reason why I'm saying this is because I don't want anyone bitching about anything I implement or use, because I WILL counter and go off on your ass; don't like what I write, then just shut the hell up and stop reading, no one has time for B.S like that.
Second, there WILL be OC's, but I'm very adamant about none OP stuff, so don't blow your stacks. And just because I have OC's does not mean I will not use the canon characters. For instance, Ash WILL BE in the story, but that's all I will say.
Third, for any romantic enthusiasts, I got your back; don't worry. I am big on romance as well. The pairings have been decided for the most part. Though I can't guarantee I will do lemons. If you want me to, I will think about it, but I won't guarantee anything.
Fourth, I know which Pokémon can be good, all can be good and strong Pokémon if trained properly, and already have a FINAL team planned out. The Pokémon the trainers catch will be switched out from time to time, but the final team is already thought out. In other words, the trainer I use will catch more Pokémon, but switch out from time and time and finally, use a team he or she has decided as his final team.
Fifth, Legendaries! People love them, some don't like others compared to some, but that's beside the point. I'm still debating whether or not to include capturing Legendaries but I will decide before things really start rolling.
And sixth, no bitching whatsoever! Like I said at the beginning, if you don't like what I write, get out; don't waste your time, my time, and everyone else's time with petty bullshit. Now if we're on the same page, we can begin.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon whatsoever except for the OC's implemented. If I did, why would I waste my time writing this fanfic?
The world of Pokémon, a very vast and diverse place; a world housing over seven hundred different kinds of Pokémon, ranging from the earth, the land, the sea, and even the sky. Some seek power, training to be the strongest while others seek companionship, usually going on long adventures with other Pokémon or even trainers. More seek freedom, staying away from trainers and Pokémon alike, wandering through nature and away from captivity. It doesn't matter, as the road lay stretched out before their eyes. The way the wind blows help guide their spirits until it becomes clear; and in the moment where the door begs to be opened, they grasp the knob, twist it open, and let the barrier disappear, thus allowing the first step to achievement be completed.
There are many regions and islands that house these Pokémon and humans; starting with the mother of all regions¹, Kanto and its Orange Island Archipelago, its sister and serenity region², Johto; thirdly, the warm, multi-environmental, and water abundant region of Hoenn, to the desolate and arid Orre, the all-terrain Sinnoh region, the multi-seasonal Unova region, home to the strangest weather patterns ever seen, and finally, the very vast, beautiful, and festive Kalos region.
It's one thing to travel the many regions and experience the Pokémon world, catching wild Pokémon, training them, and befriending them. However, it's another thing to survive that world, because while Pokémon may seem friendly and sweet, there are some whose aggressiveness and power make them dangerous to catch and even harder to tame. It's tough to survive, but that's what makes the challenge fun.
What's not so fun is the echo of someone breathing vehemently in an obscure rhythm and galloping footsteps smashing into the earth. The scenery of bushes, trees, and grass seemed to go on forever from his perspective, but even more so with the abundant mass of crackling fire burning every which way.
He stopped running and entered a slow walk to regain some stamina while waiting for things to resolve, his sweat covering his tannish-peach skin in a sheeny layer. Various wounds and marks scattered around his form and burned intensely as his heart pounded vigorously against his chest without any signs of calming down.
He dragged a hand through his head of dazzling silver hair, which had black streaks sprinkled endlessly through it. A mini version of a lion's mane would effectively describe the style of hair that rested just at the middle of his neck and covered his ears. The slight headache pounding his cranium emerged from all the running his legs carried him through. And while it wasn't distracting, it felt much better than the pain from his wounds, if the agonizing grunts weren't any indication.
"Tch, not now," he whispered painfully, his body trembling. "This cannot be happening right now."
He rolled on the ground while his wounds dished out their punishment. The burns, which were the main source of agony, were unbearable and turned parts of his tannish-peach skin a dark red.
"Come on Ryūga, it's just a few burns, nothing severe."
Ryūga pushed himself to his knees and eventually his feet. He avoided touching the burning trees, for obvious reasons. During his run, he dodged quite a few that tumbled down towards him. Many times did he see his life flash right before his eyes; it happened so much that he couldn't even begin to guess an approximation. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ryūga brought his mind back to other matters.
"I hope it's gone now."
Cautiously, he turned his body to see the situation, but regret immediately filled his chest when a blast of fire nearly scorched him. The teen immediately ducked down, the flames just missing the top of his head. He quickly resurfaced and took off running again, but more streams of fire rushed past him, furiously trying to burn him like the plethora of trees already suffering the same demise.
The attacks were relentless and Ryūga found it hard to even stay on his feet. His dodging proved little effective, as one blast hit him square on the back. He skipped the stopping part and immediately went to drop and roll. That last attack left the biggest burn on him and burnt off a good portion of his shirt, exposing the said burn painting his skin red. The teen let out a scream of pain. Although, it paled in comparison to the piercing roar resonating through the forest. Ryūga watched the Pokémon run away and witnessed some stand up to the attacker. Either way, it was never a good sight to see.
The forest fire continued to spread, a loud crackling sound entering the ears of the human and any Pokémon in the area. The teen could hear the constant cries of the creatures, their cries of anguish and terror. Those that tried to combat the enemy were too weak and suffered the consequences, direly. Ryūga could only watch in horror as Pokémon after Pokémon were easily defeated one after another; and just when the Pokémon helped him escape again, Ryūga found himself surrounded by a group of individuals who aimed to capture him. He didn't have time to figure out any of them, as they suddenly attacked, forcing the teen on the defensive again. His feet ran as fast they could carry the silver haired teen, but unfortunately, the damages he sustained ended up working in their favor. A strong surge of pain washed over him and forced him to the ground with a loud and agonizing grunt. Those damn wounds and burn marks on his skin were just too overwhelming.
Ryūga raised his head and saw another group of people reaching out to grab him. He closed his eyes and waited for his capture, but it never came. Instead, more screams filled Ryūga's ears, non-Pokémon screams. He could feel the heat increase dramatically, meaning his main enemy was upon him again. The fallen teen tried to pick himself up, emphasis on tried. A foot slammed on his back and pressed him to the ground. A sharp sting pierced through Ryūga's back as sinister and very familiar growl entered his ears.
'Oh no, crap!' His thoughts screamed. He was completely helpless under the beast's foot, which grinded over the burn mark on his back. Ryūga gritted his teeth as he clinched his fists in rage and mostly pain. Could he really do nothing except take the punishment? He had no sort of weapon to protect himself with, no one to help him, and no Pokémon of his own to fight back with; he was completely defenseless.
The beast continued to grind its foot over Ryūga's burns, but that's all it did. It didn't attack or anything, just kept the teen in place, forcing him to watch everything burn to ashes.
It was then a jet of water smashed into the beast, making it roar in pain as it flew off the captive, who looked on in shock. Some more Pokémon came to his rescue and helped him to safety, but the teen argued though that they should run away too. His protests fell on deaf ears, however, and the Pokémon didn't listen. Some pushed him away, crying out in their native tongue for him to go. Ryūga watched them leave and began backing away to run, his legs moving on their own accord, but the thought immediately left when fire exploded before him. He covered his eyes from the bright light and then released a gasp when the same beast that was keeping him grounded casually strolled through the flames with its menacing red eyes still set on the teen. Each step the beast took forced one step back from its prey. Its familiar growl made Ryūga shiver and run away once more.
Was this all he could do? His feet dashed across the ground as he pondered the situation, his teeth gritting together angrily. Was he so weak that all he could do is run away? An even bigger question remained. Why was the Pokémon attacking the forest in the first place? Was it an act of rage? Pain? Or is it after something? These questions and more swirled through Ryūga's head like a raging typhoon, distracting him from his surroundings. His feet ran too fast for him to keep up and he ended up falling flat on his face. It didn't take long for the enemy Pokémon to emerge within the area and spot the teenage flat on his face. Slowly, the Pokémon approached, smoke coming from the shadow where its mouth is most likely located.
There was no escape for him, no path to freedom. Words remained stuck in his throat while he pondered a way out, but his options weren't good. He couldn't run away again; it would be pointless to do so, as he would be caught in a matter of seconds anyway. Fighting back is absolutely out of the question. For one, he was heavily outnumbered and severely outmatched. Two, he was unable to act in his current condition. And three, one can only take so many burns. Hiding wouldn't work either, as Arceus knows the Pokémon will smell him out and unleash more flames.
His thoughts were so deep that he became oblivious to the appearance of demonic red eyes leering over him, but once he felt heat burn his back, he froze in place. He could feel the presence plain as day and remained silent. Maybe if he pretended to stay dead the thing would leave him alone. Unfortunately, the beast was smarter than he expected and grabbed the back of his torn shirt. He let out a yelp as he was thrown into a pile of charred trees, back first. The breath extracted from his lungs and his body slumped against the trees.
He entered a coughing fit and painfully raised his head to see the same beast approaching him. The only thing that he could make out was the pair of sinister, overwhelming, and demonic red eyes, which leered at the teen. Everything else remained shrouded in shadows, except the thick smog appearing with each breath the beast made. Each growl sent shivers down the teen's back.
The beast took one step and crouched down on all fours, readying an attack. But before the beast struck, a combination of various attacks struck it from the side. The teen shielded his face from the smoke and quickly spotted the Pokémon that attacked, but they were only small ones.
When the smoke cleared, the beast emerged without a single scratch on it. Its eyes went from the teen to the team of Pokémon, who cowered in fear from the intense stare. Some managed to muster the bravado and prepare another strike.
"Wait! Don't do it!" the teen yelled out, but it was too late. The ally Pokémon attacked, combining their long range attacks for greater damage. Fire exploded from what could be the enemy Pokémon's mouth easily overwhelmed the smaller attacks while at the same time, engulfing the small Pokémon in flames. The teen could hear their screams of agony and see their bodies gyrating on the floor. He struggled to his feet and tried to help, even though he knew it was too late, but a powerful force slammed into him, knocking the breath out of him again, and sending him soaring through the bushes. He slid across the ground, his body shutting down from the attack. Consciousness barely remained with him, pain being the only thing filling his head, excruciating pain. It hurt just to twitch a finger.
The teen raised his head and couldn't believe his mysterious golden eyes. A Pokémon he couldn't make out terrorized the place, various groups of people kept showing up and attacked him, but from what the teen could see during his running away attempts is that the two enemies are not cohorts. On the other hand, he was more focused on staying alive and avoiding capture rather than guess the motives and complexities.
Like the frantic screaming Pokémon, he heard the screams of people. Some even called out to him, but he couldn't do anything to save them. He was forced to writhe in pain as the screams of his names plagued his ears.
Before, he tried to help; however, something, the enemy Pokémon in particular, always stopped him. Whenever he got close to his destination, the enemy Pokémon would be there to stop him, force him to retreat, and watch as the bad people invade the place and destroy everything. He was forced to watch his home burn to the ground as his townsfolk run and scream like a bunch of headless chickens. Only the trainers remained to combat the enemy, but it wasn't enough.
He was forced to watch it all burn to the ground right before his very eyes, forced to hear their screams, and forced to burn the memory of the terrified, heartbreaking, and tear producing scream of his little sister. He was forced to watch it all happen before his eyes. And that was just the beginning.
"Hey, there's one more here," a random man's voice stated. The teen let out a gasp and spotted more people making their way towards him. Like the rest, he couldn't make out anything. Most of the damages were caused by them and now they've come to finish the job.
The enemies were about to apprehend him. Ryūga closed his eyes and waited. He waited and waited until a group scream filled his ears. By the time he opened his eyes, the ground shook violently as a giant ball of fire crashed down and blanketed the area in a giant sea of flames. It set everything not already on fire ablaze. The explosion that followed was massive, spreading more fire across the land in a fiery dance of destruction. Even those outside the radius barely survived the aftershock, but for those inside, nothing remained except a giant crater, not even their ashes.
Gasp!
Thud!
His eyes shot open, but clamped shut when bright light blinded them. He shielded his face and rubbed the blindness away with his free hand before shifting around. However, he found the surface hard and uncomfortable, his back starting to ache.
Golden eyes stared at the high ceiling, their user's chest rising and falling heavily in rhythm with the heavy breathes rushing out of his mouth. The speed of his heart raced swiftly, the intense vision still in full effect. A million thoughts swarmed around in his head along with brief glimpses of what transpired merely moments ago.
He felt a mild headache forming. Speaking of his head, he turned it and noticed the carpeted floor cradling him while his legs rested on the more comfortable bed. His eyes traced the ceiling once more, the memories of his dream still fresh in his mind.
Ryūga sat on his bed in deep thought, questioning the contents of that dream.
'That was too realistic to be a dream.' He covered his face and shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. It felt too real to be considered a dream.
He was so fixated on the dream that he didn't notice the Pokémon entering his room. It was a composite quadruped creature that shared the physical traits of aquatic and land animals with three small toes on each foot. Its body was light blue with dark blue ridges around its head and down its back. White ruffs appeared around the quadruped's neck and three fins made of cream-colored webbing around its head. A long tailfin touched the guy thinking of his dream, but it didn't catch his attention.
"Por?" the Vaporeon tilted its head at the silence.
Then, there was a cute little girl who entered the room after the Pokémon. She had shiny black hair with two pigtails that touched her shoulder. Dressed in a yellow sundress, a light skirt flowing above her knees, the little girl saw Ryūga sitting distractedly on his bed and copied the Pokémon's motion of tilting her head.
"Big brother?" she spoke up. A sharp gasped suddenly filled the air, causing the little girl and Pokémon to jump a couple feet in the air. The silver haired teen lifted his head and stared at the little girl and Pokémon, his mysterious golden eyes quivering at the sight.
"Maya?" he asked back. Upon mentioning her name, Maya approached her proclaimed big brother, but a loud 'eep' escaped her mouth when said big brother wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and pulled her into a crushing hug. "Maya, you're okay! You're really okay!"
He lifted the little girl off the ground and continued to hug her, spinning her around excitedly.
"Ryūga… can't… breathe," Maya barely managed to say, her skin turning blue. The older brother quickly loosened his hold and gently set his sister down, who leaned against him to catch her breath.
"Ooh, sorry about that Maya," Ryūga apologized and enveloped his sister in a gentler hug. The water-type Pokémon watched the siblings in amusement. It stood on its hind legs and pressed its paws against Ryūga's thigh.
"Poreon," it cried to get the older sibling's attention.
"I didn't forget about you. Good morning Aquarius," Ryūga scratched the Eeveelution's ears, earning a soft purr. He looked back towards Maya. "Sorry about that Maya. I saw some things that I would rather forget. What's going on?"
He wanted to change the subject quick.
"Mom sent us to wake you up. I was about to have Aquarius soak you, but you had this look on your face," Maya saw her brother's expression change. The way he hugged her a few minutes ago, while still surprising, was a lot different than how they usually hug. Normally, it's a simple and loving hug, a little teasing here and there, but this one was more… terrified? Maya never had a hug like that from her brother; and she loves hugs, a lot.
"Sorry about that; I just had a bad dream. Don't worry about it though," Ryūga's smile betrayed the look in his eyes. Years of sibling bonding has taught Maya that there was definitely something to worry about. Her brother's smile was forced, not genuine; and the look in his eyes wasn't normal as well. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn Ryūga's eyes were glowing a little, just a tiny bit.
She was about to comment, until she found herself pushed out of the room by her brother, who ignored her screams of protest. "I need to shower so go tell mom I will meet her downstairs when I'm finished."
"Wait a minute," Maya turned around, but only saw the wood of the door. The little girl puffed her cheeks out. "Ooh that big brother of mine."
Ryūga placed his back against the door and lowered his head. He knew it was just a nightmare, and a wicked, terrifying nightmare it was. Brief flashes of what happened plagued his mind, from the burning forests, to the screaming cries of the Pokémon and people, and the demonic red eyes of the beast Pokémon. Ryūga trembled as a lump clogged up his throat as the reminders of the pain, his burns, and his helplessness swam around in his thoughts. Never has he experienced such pain before, nor has he felt so helpless in his life. Watching everything unfold right before his very eyes without being able to help a single soul struck the tarnish-peach skinned teen vehemently.
He didn't want his sister to find out though, but it may be too late for that. His little sister, Maya, knew how to read him and he as well with her. The two siblings were inseparable really, being able to figure out when the other is behaving differently, but unlike Ryūga, Maya tends to pry into the matter until she knows what's wrong exactly.
She was the reason he felt so helpless. It was her screams of terror, her repetitive cry of his name for help, and that inability to actually find and save her that made Ryūga feel the most helpless. He couldn't find his parents, which only added on to the helplessness, but his sister was the family's princess with their mom being the obvious queen. Said queen couldn't be located, along with the king, so that left the princess that needed protecting, but her brother was unable to do so.
Vaporeon watched Ryūga tremble and frowned. She, the Vaporeon is female, took in a deep breath. Upon the exhale, she fired a stream of water at the teen's face, forcing him out of his stupor. His body was drenched and his damp hair covered his eyes.
"What was that for?" he asked and combed his hair back to reveal his golden eyes. Vaporeon brushed against Ryūga's leg while speaking to him. The teen couldn't really understand what the water-type was saying, but from experience, he knows Vaporeon's gestures and can piece together an accurate translation.
The silver and black streak haired teen listened to the Pokémon's words, or she'll blast him for interrupting. After she was done talking, Vaporeon beckoned Ryūga to kneel down and then licked his cheek. She then hopped on Ryūga's bed, where she stood on her hind legs and locked eyes with the teen.
"Vaporeon!" she cried. A now smiling and still drenched Ryūga chuckled amusedly, shaking his head while petting the water Eeveelution gently.
"Love you too Aquarius," he approached the window and lifted the bottom pane, allowing a cool breeze to enter the room. He stuck his head out, probably shouldn't have considering how drenched he was. His eyes peered at the small hustle and bustle of the townsfolk while a big ball of fire continued to rise and a blue sky hovering above them. Ryūga took in a deep breath, taking in the wonderful scent of the outside world.
The peaceful and quiet town of New Bark, the Town where Winds of a New Beginning Blow, is located in the southeastern section of the Johto region. As mentioned before, it's a quiet and peaceful town with gentle winds constantly blowing. The town is powered by a plethora of windmills scatter about. Add in the constant wind and New Bark is rarely, if not ever, without power; but on the off chance of that happening, there are generators that really come in handy. Compared to other cities and towns, New Bark is one of the smallest in Johto, but it's one of the most important. There were medium to large sized houses and multiple stores around, but the biggest and most prominent place of New Bark is the lab of the regional professor, Prof. Elm. His place was essentially a mansion compared to everyone else's house, but with the amount of research and Pokémon that pass by here and there, it's easy to determine why the professor needs a lot of space.
Ryūga stared out his window and watched the townsfolk enjoy themselves. The nightmare he had couldn't keep the smile from tugging at his lips. These might be the same individuals that were captured by that mysterious group, but here they are now, laughing and smiling as they went about their day. Some of the kids spotted him and waved happily to the teen, who waved back. The children's greetings alerted the adults, who all greeted him as well. Ryūga's smile grew wider as he observed the joyful atmosphere of his hometown. That is until he let out a sneeze and had to retreat back inside.
"Are you sure this is the best course of action?" Prof. Elm questioned. The lab coat wearing professor turned towards a man with silver hair, just like someone else mentioned before, but his hair didn't have black streaks in them. While it did fall back like a lion's mane, it was definitely a lot neater than the aforementioned Ryūga's hair. Also unlike Ryūga's, this man had silver eyes and gave off a more serious and powerful aura. He folded his arms and nodded back to the professor's previous question. He wore a light blue collared shirt over a plain white one and brown trousers with a black leather belt carrying two small pokéballs.
"This will test him to see if he's truly ready for the Pokémon world," he responded. Professor Elm scratched his light brown hair.
"Well, I have no doubt in my mind that he's ready, but still, I think your plan is a little too zealous."
The man shrugged his shoulders, his not too muscular arms tightening against the plain white shirt over his torso. What's wrong with seeing if someone is ready for the world? That's what parents do. They raise their kids as best they can and make sure they are ready for the real world when they come of age. If they aren't ready, it's going to be a long journey.
"This is Ryūga we're talking about here though," his response earned a chuckle from the professor.
"When I hear Ryūga, I usually envision him scarfing down food, not being flamboyant."
The man raised an eyebrow at the professor.
"Have you seen the entrances he makes at parties?"
"Yeah, my wife won't stop going on about them," Elm waved the question off. "Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Are you really sure about this Hayate?"
"It will be much more rewarding when he earns it instead of giving it to him," the man nodded. "Yes, my son has proven he's more than capable, but I've never been one for the easy route and neither has he."
The professor let out a sigh; he wasn't going to get through to the man, he can blatantly see that now. But he can't necessarily argue against Hayate's reasoning. For as long as Elm has known Hayate, the man has never done things the easy way. And his son Ryūga is mainly the same way.
"Alright Hayate; I'll phone Ryder and get everything set up, but do you really have to use Orso against him?"
"He'll be fine," Hayate waved his hand. "I assure you. Ryūga will return without too many scratches; the least he'll receive is a broken arm, maybe."
Prof. Elm sweat dropped. "Your wife is going to kill you."
"Not if she doesn't find out," Hayate turned his focus on the three pokéballs sitting behind the glass container. "I have my ways of keeping things from her."
"Yeah she's definitely going to kill you. Never mess with an Ursaring's cub," Elm warned him, sweat dropping down his face at the image of what Hayate's wife would do to him and Hayate for orchestrating this plan.
"You say that like she's scary or something," Hayate shook his head with a sigh.
"She is!" Elm screamed and shuddered in fright.
"Please, my wife is like a beautiful Gardevoir," Hayate smirked at the professor's fright. "Don't forget that I've been married to her for years and never once did I consider her scary. If anything, what you consider about her scary, I find it sexy."
"You're crazy," the professor retorted.
"We all are to an extent," Hayate faced the man again. "And you're overreacting; Leyna is reasonable and fair. She's just looking out for her boys."
The father smiled again and crossed his arms under his chest. "And about that cub thing; don't mess with the man who took down the mother AND father WITH the cub. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."
"For my sake, I sure hope so. Leyna will have my head if she finds out I helped orchestrate this scheme of yours," Elm sighted with another shudder.
"You worry too much; she agreed to let us test Ryūga in the first place," Hayate tilted his head to the side.
"However," Elm egged the man to finish his thought.
"She doesn't know of my plans. So if anything does happen, I will take full responsibility. The worst she can do is have me sleep on the couch or attack me, and even then that's still not a punishment because she won't sleep without me there to cling to and I know how to dodge."
"That still doesn't make me feel better. Leyna is going to kill us if anything bad happens to her son," the professor pointed out again. A mother always protect their young ones, and Leyna is no exception. Thinking about it now made the Johto professor completely afraid. Whatever Hayate did during his lifetime, Elm needs to learn it as well so he can face Leyna without fear.
"Listen; I have a reason for everything I do, unless I'm bored and just wanted something to entertain me. As such, I have a perfectly good reason for wanting Ryūga to go through with this. The boy is capable, yes; however, we won't know for sure until he's placed in certain scenarios. I have every bit of faith that he will succeed, but I want to see with my own eyes how far my son has come."
Hayate left the professor speechless. The father wasn't as strict as his wife when it came to their children; he knows how to let them go as appose to his lover.
"I'll let you know when I'm leaving to get in place, just have the objects ready," he bid farewell for now. Prof. Elm shook his head and removed his glasses, wiping the sweat off his face. He was still skeptical about this plan of Hayate's, mainly for the sake of his life. But, nothing he present will change the man's mind.
"Hayate is so dead."
Suddenly, a loud beeping noise grabbed the professor's attention and nearly made him drop his glasses. The Johto professor turned towards some of his monitors and smiled nervously. His colleague responded to the message he sent earlier. Now everything is ready to go.
"Well, nothing left to do but hope…and hide if things go south."
Millions of droplets pelted his tannish-peach skin in rapid succession as he stood with his head raised and eyes closed thoughtfully. His silver hair was damped to the core. Steam filled the room in a small cloud and the very trademark melody of water hitting the floor rang through the air, but it didn't distract Ryūga from his thoughts. No, his thoughts were too deep to be shattered so easily. He thought deeper. Even deeper, until he could see them in the depths of his subconscious. His eyes popped open along with a small gasp rushing out his mouth. He saw them again, those frightening eyes.
Ryūga let out a sigh and lowered his head, letting the hot water wash away the suds lathered over his progressively clean body. Ever since he woke up from that nightmare, he couldn't rid his mind of the residue that seemed to be permanently burned in his mind. He avoided thinking too hard, or he'll see them, the trademark symbol he picked out for the beast. It was always there, taunting him, growling at him, but he didn't know why it was there.
Ryūga shut off the water but couldn't shake the thoughts lingering in his head. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, there was a powerful force ready to remind him. He couldn't shake it; he couldn't shake anything related to that nightmare. Seeing his little sister and fellow town members only distracted him from the visages, but after he looked away, everything started coming back to him.
"Don't let it get to you Ryūga, it's just a nightmare," the silver-haired teen dried himself and put on some clothes. He walked out with some black dress pants but left his torso completely exposed. "Give it some time and it will go away."
He sighed. "I hope so anyway."
He stepped into the hallway while stretching his muscles, but he precipitously froze. His head tilted upward, his nose going to work on sniffing out the scene. He could smell them, a smorgasbord of delectable and mouthwatering aromas filling his nostrils. Involuntarily, he began walking towards the source of the scent, which was downstairs, where Maya met him again.
"There you are," she placed her hands on her dainty hips. "Mom said."
She never finished her sentence, as Ryūga slung his little sister over his shoulder, causing a loud 'eep' to echo through the house; the older sibling continued to walk downstairs with his sister threatening him to put her down, but to no avail.
"Hush little one," Ryūga suddenly spoke. "We must partake in the bountiful feast our mother hath prepared."
"What?" Maya didn't understand a word he said.
"Thou belly shall be quenched upon consuming that which mother hath provided. Thy hunger flaring nostrils will rue the day thou commit such acts," Ryūga continued. "But do not fret, for our mother hath prepared a means to mollify such beastly apprehensions."
"I don't understand what you're saying, just put me down!" Maya demanded, getting angrier with her brother.
When they finally arrived downstairs, Ryūga set Maya down and gasped in shock at the beautiful scene before him. A beautiful array of food was laid out on the circular table, from eggs, pancakes, to the food blessed down from the Gods, bacon. Ryūga felt tears threatening to come out as he stared in awe, shock, and hunger at the gorgeous display of culinary expertise currently inviting him over to take part of their morning meal, wafting their incredible scene full blast into his nostrils.
"No words," Ryūga whispered. "No words can describe this cornucopia of greatness my eyes are witnessing."
"I don't get why you love food so much," Maya shook her head and approached the table. "Mom! I got him downstairs; after he kidnapped me that is."
Ryūga rubbed his hands together mischievously and slyly made his way to the buffet. He eyed the food, thinking of the mass variety of helpings he can have, but when his sights set on the food of the Gods, he chose his first target.
Maya watched with her head tilted on her hand as her brother reached for the bacon. She mentally counted up and smiled wide when a fast shadow zoomed into the room and a white twinkle sparkled before something slammed down.
SMACK!
"OWWWW!" Ryūga screamed in pain and held his now aching hand. Maya on the other hand, nearly fell out of the chair laughing so hard. She held her gut and pointed at the attacker, whose scary sweet smile made Ryūga flinch after realizing who just hit him.
"Ryūga sweetie, what did I tell you about sneaking food away?" The attacker questioned with a closed eye smile. Ryūga started sweating bullets as he laughed nervously and walked away, his red hand being rubbed by the other.
"Uhh, yeah about that," he shrunk under the woman tapping the wooden spoon against her palm. "You said don't do it."
"And what were you about to do?" The woman took a step forward, making Ryūga take a step back.
"Uhh, I was just admiring your culinary skills mom, honest," Ryūga laughed nervously again. "As always, the food you prepare is simply beautiful."
His mom let out a giggle, but it wasn't a good one. Ryūga and Maya's mom stood at Ryūga's chest. She had soft, creamy skin, possessed short but beautiful black hair that cascaded down to the side of her face, and a pair of the most beautiful blue eyes one has ever seen with some very fluttery eyelashes and glasses with blue rims. She wore a small white vest with gold linings over a sleeveless top with blue linings around it, white detached sleeves that went up to her shoulders, black skirt with a split on the left side, and a pair of long, short-heeled boots.
"Why thank you Ryūga; I really do like it when people compliment my food. However, I don't take too kindly to pillagers," her voice was laced with venom, and yet, that scary sweet smile never deteriorated; it only grew wider the closer she approached Ryūga. "Now then, how are we going to reach a conclusion here?"
Maya laughed more when she saw her brother get on his hands and knees, his head bowed respectfully at his mother.
"I'll help you in the kitchen and promise to take you shopping next time," he offered. His mom gave a fake happy gasp.
"Really? Oh you're so sweet Ryūga; I knew my parenting turned you into a gentleman. You are forgiven, now come give your mother a hug," she held her arms out and crushed Ryūga in a bone breaking hug. Maya's sides began to hurt from the excess laughter she released.
"Ummm, Leyna?" Hayate walked in to see the scene. His brow raised slightly. "Why is our daughter dying of laughter and our son dying of your killer hug?"
Leyna released her son, who dropped to the floor and gasped for sweer air. Maya hopped out of the chair and ran to her father.
"Daddy!" She tackled Hayate's legs and explained her crazy morning with Ryūga while he carried her in his arms. Leyna simply stepped over her son.
"I keep telling him to stop pillaging the food I cook," her gaze never left Ryūga until she went to peck her husband on the lips. "I had to use the wooden spoon."
Hayate face palmed himself.
"Hand or head?"
"Hand, should've gone for the head but I didn't," Leyna giggled and spied on her son trying to sneak to the table.
"Dad," he called out. "Great thing you're here; I need you to."
"Did you know that ten pounds of torque can rip off a human ear?" Hayate interrupted to tell his wife, loudly.
"Oh really? I may have to resort to that," she held her hand close to her mouth and giggled again, raising the wooden spoon that inflicted pain on Ryūga's hand minutes ago. The silver-haired teen paled at the waving spoon and quickly took his seat at the table.
"I'll be good," he promised. His parents and sister shared a laugh before Hayate kissed his wife's cheek.
"The plan is set so I'm going to eat first before heading out," he set Maya down and whispered to his wife.
"Are you sure he won't get hurt?" Leyna gave him a 'he had better not get hurt' look.
"I can't promise that," Hayate shook his head. Leyna crossed her arms and waved the wooden spoon in his face. "I still can't promise that, but I can promise that he'll come back without a sprain or broken bone."
Leyna's glare didn't waver but she accepted those terms at least.
"Maybe," Hayate whispered to himself. The man bent down and petted the Vaporeon standing at his feet.
"Will you come with me Aquarius? We have a little inauguration to plan."
"Va," the water-type Eeveelution nodded. Hayate smirked and joined his family for breakfast, but more importantly, to see his son wolf down, with yet still nice table manners, his food. By still nice manners, Ryūga did wolf down his food, but the way he did it was still cleanly in a way. Food wasn't thrown everywhere like a projectile and he ate without the disgusting smacking of his lips.
"You know I'm still questioning who he gets it from," Leyna leaned towards her husband.
"It's not my side I can tell you that," Hayate shook his head, wondering the same thing.
"It's not mine either."
"Maybe he just has too many stomachs," Maya suggested.
"Nine to be exact," Ryūga wiped his mouth with a napkin and continued scarfing down the food.
"And yet you're not as big as a Snorlax," his father commented, earning a laugh from his wife and daughter.
"I love to eat, so sue me," Ryūga complained. How can anyone not like to eat? It's what humans and Pokémon do every day.
"I would, but I don't think this is a case that needs to be handled in court," Leyna commented.
"Well look at it this way; no food is wasted," Ryūga told them with a wide smile.
"That's because it all goes down into your belly," Maya pointed out as she poked her big brother's belly. "Seriously, how are you not big?"
"Exercise," Ryūga held in a burp. "I don't just sit around all day and do nothing you know."
"Now that I can agree with," Hayate chuckled.
"Well if you're so full, I wonder if you have room for desert," Leyna walked into the kitchen. Ryūga shot up from his chair.
"Desert?"
"Yes, I made something extra. Hayate sweetie, do you mind helping me?" the man followed his wife into the kitchen. Ryūga on the other hand, was pondering a million guesses as to what his mother has made. "However, I'm warning you now that this WILL be eaten LATER, not now."
The silver-haired teen slumped in his chair while Maya laughed and patted her brother on the back. His hopes were crushed in that single instant. Soon, his parents returned with the desert being carried by Hayate, which was a birthday cake with 'Happy 16th Birthday Ryūga' written in frosting. It took everything in Ryūga's arsenal not to snatch the cake away and run off with it, but he contained his desires.
"Happy Birthday son," his parents congratulated.
"Happy Birthday big brother," Maya hugged him. Ryūga returned his sister's hug and smiled wide.
"Thank you guys."
"My baby boy turns sixteen today," Leyna hugged her son again, crushing him completely. "I'm so proud."
"Mom…can't…breathe," the birthday boy gasped.
"Honey, he can't enjoy his birthday if he dies," Hayate broke up the death hug. While the birthday boy was busying being revived, the parents had one last final discussion on this plan of Hayate's.
"I'm getting more hugs later," she smiled at him and traced her finger on his chest. "And remember; I don't mind bruises, but he had better not break any bones. Clear?"
"Crystal," the parents shared a quick loving kiss. "Ryūga will be just fine; I promise."
"He better," Leyna pecked her husband's cheek.
"I'll see you later Ryūga, Maya; I have something I need to take care of," their father gave his wife one last hug.
"Bye daddy," Hayate received a hug from his daughter and tiny peck on the cheek.
"Have fun," Ryūga bumped fists with his father after filling his lungs with air.
"I always do," he pecked his wife's cheek and waved bye to his family. Aquarius the Vaporeon followed behind with a farewell cry.
"What is he going to do?" Ryūga spoke up. His mom just shrugged her soldiers. She knew of the plan, adamantly voiced her opinion about certain things, but managed to convince her husband to abide her condition without ruining the integrity of the plan. What she didn't know is how Hayate is really going to test their son, but she will find out.
"All I know is the professor sent him to retrieve something; he doesn't know either, but you know him. He won't say no to a challenge," she responded to Ryūga's question. "Speaking of the professor, he wants to see you Ryūga about today. I told him you'd see him after eating, which made him sigh at how long that will take."
"Why can't people leave me alone about my love for food," Ryūga shook his head.
"Because they've never seen anyone eat as much you big brother," Maya commented with a giggle.
"No Maya, they've never seen anyone who can out eat him," Leyna joined the teasing. Ryūga sighed and retreated upstairs. "Don't forget to put on a shirt and grab your pokégear!"
"Why hide what I'm not embarrassed to show?" she heard her son laugh back. "The ladies love it."
"Just do it!"
"What isn't he afraid to show?" Maya inquired.
"It's a boy thing; don't worry about it. Come help me clean the dishes okay?" her mother shook her head at her son's antics. Maya hopped out of the chair and assisted her mother, who rested a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Also Maya, by tonight, if you see your father sleeping on the couch, or me swinging my spoon at him, try not to question anything. Just know that he made mommy very angry."
Maya stared back in confusion, blinking twice. She never heard of that happening before, not in her seven year lived life. Usually, her parents are flirty with one another, something that never ceases to make Maya go aww, probably a female thing, and they've never made the other person angry. So something big must happen for her mother to make Hayate sleep on the couch or try to beat him up. If only she knew, but she didn't. The little girl nodded back to her mother and helped her in the kitchen.
Ryūga, per his mother's instructions, donned a light gray shirt over his once naked torso and made his way back downstairs. He still questioned what task his father could be completing for the professor and what the regional man wished to discuss with him. The teen simply chalked it off as a birthday related thing, maybe a gift.
He entered the kitchen, where he kissed his mother's cheek goodbye and ruffled Maya's hair, which earned him an angry pout. He announced his departure and took his first steps outside.
Walking through his hometown, the birthday boy smiled at the activity; he could see the neighbors waving and wishing him a Happy Birthday, even some of the kids ran around him cheering the same thing.
"Happy Birthday Ryuga!" Everyone said.
Big brother, big brother, show us a trick!" One of the kids tossed him a ball. Expertly, the teen spun the ball on his fingers.
"Alright, but just one," Ryūga let the ball drop and raised his foot to knocked it back into the air. As the ball descended, Ryūga used the other foot to send it back up, letting it land on his head. He then spun with the ball spinning on his head and let it fall forward before using his knee to launch it back upward.
The kids and some of the passersby watched in amusement as Ryūga played with the ball, using his legs and feet in a variety of ways, even flipping and landing on his hands to balance the ball with his feet, earning a plethora of cheers and applause. For the finale, Ryūga launched the ball high into the air and pushed off his hands into a front flip. The ball descended while Ryūga spun to build momentum. At the right moment, the ball fell into position, which led to Ryūga striking it vehemently with his right foot and send the ball rocketing towards one of the various windmill poles, rocketing back, and into to his hands.
"How was that?" He grinned with his teeth showing. The kids jumped up and down in excitement while the bystanders clapped. "Now I need to head to Prof. Elm's lab; don't try what I did, you'll only hurt yourselves."
Ryūga sent the kids on their way and resumed his walk to the professor's lab, which was impossible to miss. It's literally the biggest place in the entire town. A huge wooden fence with barbed wire across the top set around the perimeter of the property, the gate wide open to reveal the luscious front yard filled with plants, flowers, and Pokémon roaming around freely.
Walking through the open gate, Ryūga first spotted the beautifully maintained garden inviting him closer. In the very center, a large water fountain with a marble Milotic tied the beauty all together. The garden resembled a giant maze, short, neatly trimmed hedges acting as walls, and the clean pathways serving as the roads. Ryūga walked through the maze many times; it was one of the things he did when he was little. Traversing through it now brought up some old memories of showing Maya around the hedge maze, mainly how she got lost and Ryūga found her crying. He remembered letting the little one ride on his back as he safely guided them back to their parents.
Things were peaceful and serene for Ryūga, until he reached the end of the maze. He was so close to the professor's door that all it would take is to twist the knob and enter; however, the Pokémon had other plans. Said plan came in the form of a strong tackle that forced the birthday boy on his back and subjected to the their own hugs and greetings.
"Sheesh, what is it with me getting hugs today?" He petted the Pokémon until they were satisfied. He then heard the sound of laughter.
"Well it's your birthday, so it only makes sense why the Pokémon wanted to wish you one," Prof. Elm smiled down at the floored Ryūga. "Happy Sixteenth Birthday Ryūga; are you ready to see what I got you?"
"Well that depends; can you get these guys off me?" Ryūga referred to the Pokémon snuggling against him. Elm just laughed at the birthday boy, who had to send the Pokémon away himself. "Gee thanks for the help."
"You're welcome; now come along. I have a big surprise for you," Ryūga followed the Johto professor through the large buildings. No matter how many times he's been there, Ryūga can't help but be amazed by all the machinery and shelves filled to the brim with books. If not for the professor's wife, aides, and kid, the place would be a complete mess.
"So, what is this surprise you wanted to show me professor?" the silver-haired teen waved and greeted the aids and Elm's family that roamed around the lab, hearing them wish him a Happy Birthday. Soon the two arrived in the main lab of Prof. Elm, with the three pokéballs still stored in the glass containers. Ryūga's mouth started to open wide as he stared at the three red and white capsules. He knows that every new trainer receives a Pokémon when they turn ten years old, but for reasons his parents mention, he was delayed the opportunity.
"Are you going to give me a Pokémon professor?"
The middle-aged man chuckled at the teen's enthusiasm.
"Well that is part of the plan," he responded quite vaguely.
"The plan?" Ryūga repeated, his brow rising skeptically. "What sort of plan are we talking about here?"
'Let's hope Leyna won't kill me for it first of all.' Elm prayed mentally.
"Allow me to give you a bit of history first before I begin explaining. Do you know why your parents decided to wait until you turned sixteen before becoming a trainer?"
The teen in question blinked twice and repeated the question in his head. He didn't think he would be asked about it.
He nodded back. "Yeah, mom went on and on about how parents are irresponsible for allowing their kids to start their journey at the age of ten."
A hearty chuckle escaped his lips whenever he remembered the rant Leyna went on when Ryūga turned ten and asked for a Pokémon. "She just chewed out pretty much every parent she could think of. She even said things I'd rather not repeat."
'Leave it to Leyna to be so forward with her responses.' The professor sweat dropped.
"They said they wanted to make sure I was at least ready and more knowledgeable of the world to survive it," Ryūga continued and crossed his arms.
"Yes, that is exactly correct. Your parents, Leyna in particular, were very adamant about me waiting to let you become a Pokémon trainer. I was expecting them to let you start at fourteen, but Leyna twisted my arm again, literally," Elm scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. The reminder of that day came back to the professor, who paled at the scary sweet smile Ryūga's mother gave him while literally twisting his arm. Just thinking about it now made that arm hurt.
"Mom is very protective," Ryūga nodded and paled too at the sweet smiles his mother would give him sometimes. He loves her to death like his father and baby sister, but no one is dumb enough to get on her bad side; and the only person with the balls to do so is Hayate.
"Like an Ursaring protecting her cub, just like I told your father," Elm got back on topic. "But anyway; now that you've finally turned sixteen, your parents."
"You mean mom," Ryūga corrected.
"Right," Elm chuckled. "Your mother finally allowed me to give you a Pokémon to keep and train," Elm opened the glass container.
"Awesome; and I've been thinking really hard about which one I want too," Ryūga reached for one of the pokéballs, but was ultimately denied as Elm swatted his hand away. "OW! What is it with people swatting my hand?!"
"Sorry, but you can't have your Pokémon yet," Elm placed the pokéballs in a brown briefcase.
"What? Why?" Ryūga questioned in outrage. "You just said I could."
"Yes, but you haven't passed the test yet," Elm let the words sink in as he stared at Ryūga's blank face.
"Come again?" was all he said.
"Here is what happened. Your parents, namely Hayate, decided that in order for you to obtain your first Pokémon, we will need to evaluate how you handle a couple of scenarios without one," Elm explained the plan he, Ryūga's father, and some of the other residents of New Bark formulated to test Ryūga's skills.
"So all those times dad and I went camping, hiking, and all those father and son trips to different cities and towns, was to hone my skills in the outside world?" The silver-haired teen confirmed.
"That's the gist of it," Elm nodded back. "Why do you think Hayate did the 'training' while your mom did the 'teaching'?"
"Mom is smarter than dad?" Ryūga responded with a shrug. Elm laughed back.
"It's kind of hard to tell with that couple, but the reason is because they do things differently."
"You're telling me," Ryūga nodded back in agreement.
"If you want your Pokémon, you will need to pass our test, which is actually very simple."
"If my father had a hand in this, I doubt that," Ryūga pointed out bluntly.
"Trust me, we had to keep your father's ideas at a limit. If we let him have full comtrol, there's no telling what he would formulate," Elm explained again. "But no, all you have to do is retrieve two items we've hidden past Cherrygrove City."
Ryūga nodded and continued to listen intently. His chance at receiving a Pokémon is riding on this test.
"I won't tell you what the items are, but know that there are two you need to retrieve. And they are relatively very easy to spot so don't worry about that. Once you get them, just bring them back here while avoiding any traps laid out for you and we'll see how you did. Sound good?"
"So you want me to go out in the wild, where Pokémon may be likely to attack me, basically do some errands for you, go through two cities, and then return here, all without damaging the cargo?" Ryūga crossed his arms under his chest. "And I have to bypass the traps you set up, which means my father is most likely the ringleader.
"Well when you put it like that it makes us sound like evil people. But yeah, that's the plan," Elm scratched his head. "So what do you say? Think you're up to the challenge?"
Ryūga narrowed his eyes at the professor, who slowly started backing away from the teen. Even though he resembles his father more, the teen inherited his mother's cold stare. The power of such a stare in the hands of a teen with an all-around father made quite the combination.
"Professor; I just have one thing to say," Ryūga stated. Elm saw the smile widening on the teen's face, his teeth showing confidently. The opportunity to receive his own Pokémon made Ryūga's chest race in anticipation. Even as a kid, Pokémon excited him, just like every other kid, but thanks to his father, he spent more time around them. Even as a kid, he understood that Pokémon possessed incredible power. Like his father's Vaporeon, she was as sweet as can be, but not even Ryūga could guess how strong she really was; and his father was always vague with his answers. Now he has a chance to see if he inherited his father's prowess.
"Challenge accepted."
1. Kanto is mentioned as the mother of all regions because that's the region Pokémon itself started with, followed by Johto, Hoenn, and so forth. Technically, I suppose Sinnoh would be the first region considering its lore and history, but canonically and experience speaking, Kanto came first.
2. Johto is literally right next to Kanto and takes about a couple of days, maybe three to reach, and that's on foot too; plus it is very similar to Kanto in terms of environment and what Pokémon run around there, thus why I call it the sister region. Serenity comes from the natural…well serenity.
I would like to thank Xtreme Gamer, SargentFalco, and ShadowUzumaki55 for beta-testing this chapter. Thanks for your assistance.